“Sweatheart Deal” For John Ashcroft
“There is not a conflict, there is not an appearance of a conflict,” Mr. Ashcroft told a House Judiciary Committee hearing this morning.
Not even the appearance of one, huh? Yep, that’s gall.
Nice Work If You Can Get It: John Ashcroft’s Big Payday
John Ashcroft, the former Attorney General, insisted today that there was nothing wrong with a former employee giving him a no-bid monitoring contract that could be worth as much as $52 million. [...]
We beg to disagree. Mr. Ashcroft was awarded the contract by Christopher Christie, the United States Attorney for New Jersey. The assignment is to monitor Zimmer Holdings, a manufacturer of medical supplies accused of fraud.
Mr. Ashcroft was Mr. Christie’s boss, and as a powerful Republican, he could prove helpful again in the future. Mr. Christie is believed to have political ambitions. Mr. Ashcroft could line up political support or campaign contributions for his former employee turned benefactor.
Rep. Linda Sanchez, Democrat of California, was right to say that it looked like a “sweetheart deal.”
Just so you’ll know:
I like what NYT’s commenter, Reasoner101, had to say on the subject:
This is the hypocrite who held forced prayer vigils at DOJ and swore to bring his “Christian values” into our federal government. The hypocrite who basically regarded our Constitution as toilet paper. It says a lot about the criminal enterprise that has ruled this country since the 2000 junta that this man was its first choice to head the Justice Department. $52 million no bid contract. Incredible. Ashcroft ought to be tarred and feathered and excommunicated from whatever church he is part of.
